Indecisive
by RobertDowneyJrLove
Summary: My take on how Jackson might have made a decision. Two-shot. Jackson/Melissa romance with Jackson and Nathan friendship in the first chapter.
1. Decisions

Indecisive.

Yea, that worked.

Indecisive, idiotic, stupid, and a complete and total jerk.

Those worked too, given those were much more edited than the words he had come up with in his head. Definitely much nicer than the words he had come up with for his behavior recently. He knew that both Melissa and Taylor had crushes on him but he honestly didn't know who he wanted. It was either sweet, caring yet sassy and feisty Melissa or ditzy, fake yet caring Taylor. He loved them both but he also knew that he could only have just one.

"Can't decide?" Nathan's question brought him back to reality.

"Yea," Jackson nodded, motioning for Nathan to sit down. "I don't know-it just seems like I never thought it would come down to my best friend or Taylor but it has and now, I'm forced to choose between them. I know that if I choose one I hurt the other and God..I really don't know what to do."

"Melissa's your best friend, so let's start with her." Nathan nodded as he traced Melissa's name in the sand, "What do you like about her?"

"I'm not the kind of guy to ramble on and on what I love about her. I suck at that." Jackson shook his head.

"Give it a shot, if you want to choose, then you have to think about what you like in each one." Nathan encouraged, nodding toward Melissa's name in the sand. "Go for it."

"Melissa is...Melissa. She's sweet, caring, clumsy...God she's adorable. I don't know. She's Melissa, what's not to like?" Jackson sighed, "I like how she saw right through me from the very beginning. She's the only one who knows me."

"What about Taylor?" Nathan asked him, wiping away Melissa and tracing Taylor in the sand.

"She's pretty and caring when she wants to be." Jackson sighed as he tried to think of more. "I don't know, man."

"Look if it helps, I've been down the Taylor road. Avoid it." Nathan shook his head, "It's bad. She has her moments but other than that, what you see is what you get. She's ditzy and a typical blonde. There isn't much too her. She tends to be superficial and a mean girl."

"Tell me about it." Jackson mumbled, wiping away Taylor's name. "It's not easy."

"Look, you say that Melissa's your best friend-and she is, we all know that." Nathan pointed out, "You obviously liked her first and we all know she liked you first. You obviously know more about her than you do about Taylor, so why let a fake blonde come in between you and your best friend?"

"I think Taylor knew how to manipulate me in a way that would make me think I had feelings for her." Jackson pointed, absently drawing Melissa's name in the sand.

"She does that." Nathan laughed in agreement before sobering up, "Look the only reason Melissa's been acting the way she has is because she knows Taylor. She saw right through Taylor's act. Taylor acts like she cares but in reality the only person she cares about is herself."

"I've learned that." Jackson nodded, watching the waves crash against the black rock. "Melissa's not like that."

"Melissa, look she may seem innocent and naive but she's not. She's a good judge of character. She sees right through people-like she did you." Nathan told him, "She knows Taylor-what she's like and if she's been trying to keep you from Taylor, she's protecting you. Taylor, she'll date and dump you without a second thought as to what she's doing. You'll last until the next guy comes along that she thinks she can get sympathy out of and then that's it."

"What about Melissa?" Jackson asked him.

"Melissa's different. She's your friend whether you know her or not. She's best friends with anyone who'll let her in close enough. I've only ever seen her like she is with you though. She's had boyfriends and she's been through the whole dating thing but she's been hurt," Nathan told him, "Hurt enough to know that if she lets you in too close, she might get hurt again."

"That's why she pulled away when she saw me getting closer to Taylor." Jackson sighed angrily, more angry at himself than he was anything. "I let her in and got her to let me in and then I let Taylor in and it kills it."

"She's not possessive but she does protect herself." Nathan told him, "If she pulls away, she's afraid that you're going to hurt her. You have to be careful with Melissa. She's had a lot of guys walk out of her life."

"Sounds like me." Jackson laughed quietly. "I've had a lot of people walk out on me."

"In that aspect, you two are eerily similar." Nathan agreed, "Look, I'm not telling you to choose one over the other because honestly, that's up to you. I'm just telling you what to expect from whichever you decide on."

"I think I already know." Jackson mumbled as he stood up and ran off. "Her name was written in front of me all along."

Nathan looked after him confused before realization dawned on him and he looked back at the sand, not surprised at all by the name he found written there.

_Melissa. _

* * *

><p><strong>So, I'll be honest, when the whole Jackson-Taylor-Melissa triangle started emerging, I thought Melissa was a bit childish but after I watched a few scenes where she confronts either Jackson or Taylor, I started thinking about why she would get like that. Melissa was always closer with Nathan or Jackson, but whenever Nathan started showing interest in Daley, she reeled back, same with Jackson. When he started showing interest in Taylor, she reeled back. She's not being childish, she was protecting herself. She was protecting Jackson when she tried to draw his attention away from Taylor. She saw through Taylor-I saw through Taylor-and didn't want Jackson to find out the hard way. <strong>

**Just my take, give your opinion in your review :) **


	2. Melissa

Melissa.

It had been right there in front of him all along and he knew it but fear of hurting their feelings had kept him from making a decision. It had ended up being his indecisive nature that had hurt them both-or one of them. He could've seen it sooner, had he just bothered to look. His best friend had seen right through Taylor's "sympathy" act and had tried to stop him from making a mistake but he hadn't listened and instead, he had let Taylor in and had ended up in a love triangle. Taylor had pulled him away from his best friend and he had been too oblivious and naive to see what she was doing.

"Hey Mel," Jackson greeted when he reached camp and could finally stop to catch his breath. He had left Nathan on the beach as soon as the realization had dawned on him, who his choice had been all along.

"Hi." She greeted quietly, barely looking up from her job filtering and boiling water.

"Can we talk for a second?" Jackson asked her softly, rocking awkwardly on the balls of his feet.

Melissa sighed as she stopped filtering and looked up at him, "What? I'm tired of this Jackson. You want to talk and then you don't. Make up your mind because much more of this and I'll give you to Taylor, no decision needed."

"I wouldn't like that very much." Jackson admitted as he walked over to her. "These past few days have taught me something about myself."

"What?" Melissa asked tiredly, conflicting emotions flickering in her eyes.

"My life doesn't work without you in it, Mel." Jackson admitted as he sat down beside her.

"Funny, seems to work just fine to me. You sure you've got the right person? Because the ditzy blonde is looking for her partner in crime if that's the person you really want to tell this too." Melissa retorted sarcastically.

"I deserved that." Jackson sighed softly, looking up at her. "Melissa, it's you. You're the person my life doesn't work without. With Taylor, it worked for a little while but her pity act got old and I realized that she never made my life work. Her stupidity is good for a laugh but other than that, she's not really the kind of girl I like."

"Than who is?" Melissa snapped tiredly. "I'm tired of the games, Jackson."

"So am I." Jackson told her, "Melissa, you're my best friend and the only girl I want in my life permanently. You've become a part of me. A part of me I'd hate to have to give up if I pick Taylor. I love you and I know I've been playing with your feelings and believe me I'm sorry about that, but you've gotta understand I've never been caught between two girls before."

"Look Jackson, I get it, we pressured you but I'm sick of playing your games." Melissa snapped as she tossed the filter down and stood up. "Good grief, I've been playing your games for a week now. I'm tired, I'm ready to just give up."

"No!" Jackson told her as he stood up. "You give up, I give up too. Look Mel, I don't have very many people in my life I can count on. There's only one and that's you. You've been my best friend since day one. I'm not choosing Taylor because if I choose her, I lose my best friend and I'm not giving you up."

"I feel like you already have!" Melissa admitted softly.

"I hate that I made you feel like that, Melissa." Jackson told her, "I hate that I played with your feelings like I have. I've played with Taylor's but she's been playing her own little game that she thinks she can win. I'm not choosing Taylor, Melissa. I'm choosing you because if I have to give you up than I won't make it."

"Yes you would." Melissa shook her head.

"No I wouldn't." Jackson shook his own head, looking down at her. "Mel, you're so important to me and you don't even know it."

"Haven't felt like it, lately." Melissa sighed softly.

"I know and I'm trying to change that but you have a stubborn streak, so it's proving to be a little difficult." Jackson teased her lightly. "What I'm trying to say that I love you Melissa-I don't know your middle name-Wu."

"It's Gabrielle." Melissa laughed softly, "And I love you too Jackson."

"It's Cody. My first name is Cody." Jackson admitted, "My middle name is Richard."

"Well Cody Richard Jackson," Melissa laughed sweetly, "As it would happen, I love you too."

"Good," Jackson grinned, "Melissa Gabrielle Wu, because if you didn't, I'd be very disappointed."

"Oh would you now?" Melissa grinned mischievously as his arms slipped around her waist. "Well now that you know I feel the same way, what are you going to do about it?"

"I have a few ideas." Jackson muttered as he leaned down closer to her.

She slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him down a little more before pressing her lips to his. Jackson tightened his hold on her as he deepened the kiss. He groaned when she buried one of her hands in his hair and pulled slightly.

Oh yes, he had definitely made the right choice.

* * *

><p><strong>Jackson chose Melissa :) The only person he would choose in my mind! Originally it was just going to be a hug at the end but let's face it, you do more than just hug a guy as hot as Cody Jackson! I couldn't resist, kissing him is a nice little fantasy for those of us who will never meet him much less have him. <strong>

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Johnny Pacar is not in my closet-one there isn't enough room and two, he hasn't agreed to become my lovah (Thank you, Sandra Bullock)**

**Oh and I'm still waiting for Simon Cowell to just own up to the fact that he is in fact in love with Paula Abdul because it's become painfully obvious that he is! **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


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